Barcelona need to make sales this summer, and it looks as if Ronald Araujo is the prime candidate. The Uruguayan defender has been at the heart of a flurry of reports in recent weeks, with the Blaugrana stance swivelling from ‘untouchable’ to willing to listen to offers.
The 24-year-old is in contract talks with the Blaugrana, and no advances have been made in recent months. Amid interest from Bayern Munich and the Premier League, it is believed that Barcelona would consider an offer of €80-€100m for Araujo.
The latest from Sport is that he is keen to stay at Barcelona, but his entourage is less so, and they are not happy with the renewal offer that Barcelona have presented to him. The Blaugrana have reportedly considered selling Alejandro Balde, Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, but none are looking to exit the club. Whereas with Araujo, they believe they could persuade him to sacrifice himself and leave the club, easing their financial woes in the process – albeit a sacrifice that will likely see him earn more money at another top club.
If Barcelona want to make any signings whatsoever, the exit of Araujo still may not be enough, and all signs point towards the Blaugrana looking to keep Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo.
If there is one position that Barcelona have quality options and depth in, it is that of Araujo. However he is more or less undisputed as the best of the bunch, and losing him will hit Barcelona on the pitch, and damage the ego of the Catalan side. In addition, it seems a relatively poor trade off if the purpose is to sign Felix and Cancelo instead.
